A blog dedicated to a socialist republican analysis of Irish affairs

Remembering Zachary Gevelinger

Rest in peace Zack, former editor of redfenian, who recently died at the age of 28. Zack was a deeply kind and caring person and a dear friend to me. We met about a month or two ago but quickly hit it off and became very close. We talked every day about everything together, but especially the Irish struggle for liberation, which he was so passionate about. Zack was an incredibly courageous person who proudly stood up for Ireland’s liberation. In 2013 he was imprisoned and tortured by the PSNI for visiting a political prisoner in Belfast. The experience left him with anorexia and PTSD, but he bravely pushed on for four years afterwards, and joined the Madison chapter of the Workers World Party back home. He wrote about his experiences in Ireland for the Workers World Party’s paper. Zack was very proud of being working class and had a lot of love and solidarity for other working class people. He was really a great communist. Zack was also courageous in his private life, coming out as bisexual a few weeks before his death. He was very passionate about LGBT+ struggles, and we were working on a piece together on Irish LGBT+ people’s contributions to the liberation struggle before his death. He is survived by his wife and his five dogs, who he all loved very much. Rest in power, Zack! Tiocfaidh ár lá, go ndéana Dia a mhaith air. “Our revenge will be the laughter of our children” – Bobby Sands